Check-protector



A. 0'; WOODRUFF. CHECK PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9,1920.

1,377,651. Patented ay10,1921.

WITNESSES I N l/E/V T01? Wk ALVEECWOODQUFF IATTQRNEYS UNITED STATES ALVIE GLIDE WOODRUFF, 0F BURNS, OREGON.

CHECK-PROTECTOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVIE GLIDE WVooD- RUFF, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Burns, in the county of Harney and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Check- Protectors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to check protectors, and more particularly to an implement for printing and perforating checks for safety purposes, adapted to be readily and conveniently carried in the pocket, the primary object being the, provision of an association and arrangement of relatively moving parts in a small, compact and convenient casing, whereby a check may be stamped and perforated and automatically advanced during each stamping or perforating operation.

In carrying out the invention the structure, arrangement and association of parts is preferably that shown in the accompanying drawing, which illustrates the invention and forms a part of this specification.

- In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section, the inner moving parts being seen in elevation';

Fig. 2 is an end View;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section takenon the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the complete device;

Fig. 6 is a similar view of the protecting cover removed; and

Fig. 7 is a detail section through the inkin roller.

eferring now to these figures, the invention proposes a check protector including a supporting frame including front and rear walls 10 and 11, the latter having for wardly extending upper and lower flanges 12 and 13, of which the upper flange 12 has depending angular ends 14 secured to end strips 15.

The front wall 10 abuts the front edges of the upper flange 12 and its angular ends 14 and has side ears 16 overlapping the lower portions of the end strips 15, the inner edges and lower ends of which are respectively spaced from the rear wall 11 and the lower flange 13 to form a check receiving slot.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 10, 1921.

Application filed July 9, 1920. Serial No. 395,050.

Secured in spaced relation to the rear wall 11 1s a back plate 17 with which the side strips 15 may be integral, if desired, this back plate-17 having openings threaded to receive screws 18 which pass through the front wall 10 and serve to secure the latter in placewith itsenlarged central opening 19 opposite and exposing the index wheel 20.

The back plate 17 serves as a support for a vertically swinging plate 21, pivoted to the back plate at 22, and provided with an angular fingerpiece 23 extending upwardly through a slot 24 of the upper flange 12. This swinging plate 21 has a lower portion movable in a guide 25 carried by the back plate 17 and forms a support for the index wheel 20, the latter of which has upon one face a peripheral series of numerals and letters, as at 26, opposite their respective printing and perforating dies 27 on the periphery of the wheel, certain of which may be moved downwardly with the wheel upon downward swinging movement of the plate 21 against a platen surface, shown at 28 in Fig. 1, and carried by the lower flange 13.

ooperating with the peripheral dies 27 of the index wheel is an inking roller 29 which, as seen in Fig. 7, consists of a hollow cylinder, one side of which has a filling aperture normally closed by a plug 30 and which is provided with a perforate surrounding wall covered by a felt or similar band 31, through which ink is fed from the interior of the roller for application to' the several dies 27 when the index wheel.

is rotated. At its side exposed through the front wall opening 19 the index wheel 20' has a central foldable handle 32 in order that its several dies may be successively moved over the inking roller, the latter of which is, by its side trunnions 33, pivoted or journaled in the lower forked end 34 of an arm 35 pivoted at 36 at its upper end to the swinging plate 21 and controlled by a spring 37 which serves to normally press the inking roller against the periphery of the index wheel.

For protection in carrying the device in the pocket, a front cover 38 may be provided, as seen in Fig. 6, and adapted to either partially or wholly cover the front wall 10, the cover 38 having a lower flange 39 for frictional engagement with the lower flange 13 and having a lip 40'at its upper edge for frictional engagement over the "upper flange 12, so that the cover is thus readily removable when it is desired to utilize the device.

The swinging plate 21 cooperates with the check advancing means by its provision at one side with a forwardly ofiset extension 41 having a rearwardly projecting pin 42 engaging the spirally grooved upper sleeve 43 of a vertical shaft 44. The lower portion of this shaft has spaced enlargements 45 opposite and closely adjacent to an upright roller 46 journaled in a pressed out extension 47 of the rear wall 11, these enlargements 45 being preferably knurled, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, in order to effectively cooperate with the roller 46 in engaging a check passed therebetween.

The shaft 44 has its portion between the enlargements 45 provided with an annular series of lengthwise ratchet teeth 48, engaged by a stationary pawl 49 secured to the back plate 17 and also engaged by pawls 50 carried by the spirally grooved sleeve 43.

The angular fingerpiece 23 of the swinging plate 21 is normally held in its uppermost position, with the index or printing and perforating wheel 20 elevated in inactive position, by means of a leaf s ring 51, one end of which is anchored on t e upper flange 12 and it is thus obvious that upon each movement of the fingerpiece 23 clownwardly against the tension of this spring, the sleeve 43 will be rotated in one direction so as to drag its pawls 50 over the ratchet teeth 48, the shaft 44 being at this time pre vented from rotation by virtue of the stationary pawls 49.

During the foregoing movement the index or printing and stamping wheel is, of course, carried downwardly with the swinging plate 17 and, assuming a check to havebeen placed in the angular groove of the frame previously described and in the position shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2, it is obvious that a portion of the check rests on the platen surface 28 and will be engaged by one of the peripheral dies of the wheel. After each downward movement it is obvious, of course, that the wheel will be rorated to bring the desired die into proper position with relation to the platen surface 28 for properly printing and perforating the check, and it is equally obvious that during each upward movement under tension of spring 51 when pressure releasedfrom the fingerpiece 23, the sleeve 43 will be rotated in the opposite direction and will then turn the shaft 44 so that the knurled enlargements 45 thereof, engaging the check against the roller 46, will cause advancing movement of the check to a new position ready for the. next printing and perforating action.

In order to maintain the several dies properly inked the index wheel may be given a complete rotation, for instance, at

the start of operations, and it is obvious that by virtue of the particular construction of the inking roller a sufficient supply may 'be maintained for lengthy periods for refilling.

I claim:

1. A check protector consisting of a frame adapted to be clasped in its entirety in the hand of the operator including adjacent front and rear walls forming a narrow compartment therebetween, a pivoted carrier in the said compartment having an externally projecting fingerpiece, a controlling spring therefor, an indexwheel pivoted to and movable with the said carrier, toward and away from a portion of the frame forming a check support, and check engaging and moving means within the compartment including a rotatable member,spirally grooved shifting means having a ratchet connection withthe said member, and an extension on the said carrier projecting into the spiral groove of the actuating member.

2. A check protector consisting of a frame including spaced front and rear walls form ing a narrow compartment therebetween, a pivoted carrier in the said compartment having an externally projecting fingerpiece, a controlling spring therefor, an index wheel pivoted to and movable with the said carrier, toward and away from a portion of the frame forming a check support, and check engaging and moving means within the compartment including a rotatable member, spirally grooved shifting means having a ratchet connection with the said member, and an extension on the said carrier projecting into the spiral groove of the actuating member, said index wheel having peripheral dies and corresponding indications on one face and said front wall of the frame having an opening through which the said side face of the index wheel is exposed.

3. A check protector consisting of a frame including a rear wall having upper and lower flanges, of which the latter forms a check support and has a platensurface, and a front wall, a pivoted carrier plate having a controlling spring and an exteriorly projecting fingerpiece and having movement between and parallel with said front and rear walls, a die wheel pivoted to and also movable withthe carrier plate and disposed parallel therewith and check engaging and moving means co-actively supported in the frame, including a positively rotated member actuated by the carrier plate in its movement. 7

4. A check protector including front and rear walls in spacedapart relation, one of which has a lower flange spaced from the other wall and forming a check supporting surface, a carrier plate pivoted in the frame to move arallel with and between said walls, havlng' an exteriorly projecting fingerpiece, and a controlling spring, a die wheel pivoted to one side of said plate and movable therewith, having peripheral dies, a spring controlled inking roller yieldingly held in engagement with the periphery of the wheel, and ratchet means for engaging and moving a check on said surface, actuated by the carrier plate in its movement.

5. In a device of the character described, check perforating and printing means including a swinging die wheel and carrier therefor, and check engaging and advancing 'means including a pair of rollers between which a check may be positioned, one of said rollers being formed in connection with a rotating shaft, a sleeve rotatable on said shaft and having a ratchet connection there with and a spiral groove, and an extension supported by said die wheel carrier and having a portion slidably engaging the grooved sleeve, as described.

6. A check protector consisting of a frame including front and rear walls, the rear wall of which is provided with upper and lower flanges, the latter spaced from the lower edge of the front wall to form a check receiving surface having a platen, a back plate within the frame, the lower edge of which is spaced above the said lower flange, located in spaced relation to the rear wall to form a check receiving slot, a spring controlled rotatable die wheel having peripheral dies and movable bodily in a plane parallel with and between the front wall and the back plate, an inking device for the die wheel, and check engaging and advancing means operated by the die wheel in its movement and coactively supported by the said back plate and the rear wall to engage a check disposed therebetween.

ALVIE GLIDE WOODRUFF. 

